Penn State's incoming freshman class chased football season tickets swiftly Thursday, selling out its allotment in just six minutes, the university's ticket office said.

USA Today Sports

Overall, Penn State students sold out more than 21,000 season tickets in a matter of hours over four days of sales this week. Earlier this week, the junior class bought its allotment in 35 minutes.

Penn State used the sellout stats to prove that it's bucking a national trend. Earlier this year, ESPN explored the phenomenon of reduced ticket sales and lower attendance among students at college football games (read more here). Penn State says its student section has "consistently sold out for four decades."

"Our student section has once again proven it is the best in the nation and proves that the national trends of decreasing student sales and redemption do not apply at Penn State,” said Jeff Garner, assistant athletic director of ticketing sales and customer service.

Penn State on Thursday named the committee that will select its new athletic director to replace the retiring Dave Joyner. Two of the committee members also helped conduct the last two football-coaching searches.

Penn State's football coaches, including James Franklin, often have referred to Vanderbilt as "our previous institution" when discussing their three years with the Commodores. It's understandable; focus on the present and future instead of the past.

Still, several coaches who joined Franklin in moving from Nashville to State College celebrated Wednesday night, when Vanderbilt's baseball team defeated Virginia for the NCAA title. It was Vanderbilt's first national championship in a men's sport. Here's the reaction.

So happy for my boy @TimCorbin, the team & his beautiful family! Well deserved, congrats to @VandyBaseball, so happy for everyone involved!

As president of Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes, Ben Kline is responsible for the annual Lift For Life charity

Centre Daily Times

that has raised more than $825,000 for kidney cancer research. After former coach Bill O'Brien left for Houston, Kline wrote an open letter to fans (read it here) that promised, "We will not let this program falter."

Off the field, Kline represents the program well. On the field, the linebacker has made some skilled plays but also struggled to stay healthy. That streak has continued.

According to Lions247's Sean Fitz, Kline sustained a torn Achilles tendon that could sideline him for some time (read more here). Penn State coach James Franklin does not discuss injuries, so the severity and recovery period will remain uncertain.

Because of shoulder and chest injuries, Kline played in just six games last year, making back-to-back starts against Illinois and Minnesota. He made 18 tackles in six games, including a career-high eight against Illinois.

Kline was a protential starter outside, and his loss would be significant enough. But Penn State already is thin on experienced, scholarship linebackers, making this a position primed for switches or freshmen participation.

Without Kline, the Lions would have four scholarship linebackers with playing experience (Mike Hull, Brandon Bell, Gary Wooten and Nyeem Wartman). Walk-ons such as Drew Boyce, T.J. Rhattigan Adam Cole and Matt Baney could contribute.

But several incoming freshmen likely will get an opportunity as well, Troy Reeder and Jason Cabinda among them. Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop also could scour his secondary for a player like Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, who played a hybrid safety/linebacker position last year. Adriam Amos is a candidate.

Robinson, whom Jacksonville drafted in the second round, signed a four-year contract worth as much as $3.5 million, according to the Florida Times-Union (read more here). The deal includes an $873,000 signing bonus and a cap hit of $638,000.

"It's just a breath of fresh air to get that out of the way," Robinson told the Jacksonville Jaguars' website. Check out an interview with Robinson here.

Dave Joyner became Penn State's athletic director in an abrupt way during an impossible time. By his own admission, Joyner considered his first year on the job to be a metaphorical "war zone," which he often addressed with coaches, players and staff.

"You guys have to understand that, for over year, this was a war zone and you can’t imagine, everywhere in this university, the things that were going on," Joyner said last year. "So you’re in crisis control, crisis mode, you’re trying to keep the ship from sinking."

In reality, though, Joyner's 2.5-year tenure generated plenty of drama, both inside and outsidde the athletic department. Joyner once said that his job was delayed by FBI agents conducting investigations in late 2011, and the summer of 2012 brought an evidently real threat from the NCAA that Penn State football would cease to exist for several years.

The new Nittany Lion logos at Beaver Stadium went live for the first time Tuesday. The logos, attached to the stadium's new videoboards, will be lit from dusk to 11 p.m. nightly, according to a Penn State spokesperson. Here's a look at some photos, courtesy of social media.

The Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes will hold its 12th annual Lift For Life event on July 12 promising a more "fan-interactive" event.

Penn State said in a news release that the competition part of Lift For Life would be modified from previous years. Players will participate in tug-of-war and tire-flip competitions as in previous years, though the workout component likely will be smaller. As a complement, players will conduct two kids' clinics and will participate in autograph and photo sessions.

All events will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Penn State's lacrosse field. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under. A $10 fee will be charged for kids participating in the clinics.

Lift For Life, founded by former Penn State players, raises money for the Kidney Cancer Association and patients with kidney cancer. All proceeds from the event benefit kidney cancer programs.

Penn State football players organize and run the event. Linebacker Ben Kline replaced Eric Shrive as Lift For Life president. His officers include the following:

Offensive line coach Herb Hand will appear on the Food Network show cooking show "Chopped" tonight. The episode airs at 10 p.m. EST.

Hand, a self-professed foodie who has cooked for recruits, will be part of a show themed around Father's Day. The competition show requires contestants to cook with ingredients unknown to them until they open the "mystery basket." The episode was filmed last fall, while Hand still was on Vanderbilt's staff.

"It's basically a dad's who cook show. It combines food and competition, two of my favorite things," Hand told Tony Mancuso of Penn State's communications office. "I'm looking forward to watching the show. I think everyone will be excited about it."

Here's the Food Network description.

Making their kids proud, four daring dads take on the pressure cooker that is the Chopped Kitchen, but how will the fathers-turned-competitors fare with fish and salt and vinegar potato chips in the appetizer round? The dads get the gift of a bottle of scotch in the entree basket. And after the two fathers fight it out in the dessert round, the judges debate whose rice pudding and pretzel dessert was more successful.

Klondike bars forever will be part of the James Franklin story, as will East Stroudsburg University football coach Denny Douds.

The Big Ten Network aired a feature Monday about Douds and Franklin, calling the veteran coach among Franklin's greatest influences.

Douds says Franklin still is probably "the greatest scrambling quarterback ever to play in the PSAC," and Franklin tells the story again about eating Klondike bars and talking football with Douds during his year on the staff.

"I want to be able to have an impact on this community like Coach Douds has had on East Stroudsburg."

James Franklin and several Penn State staff members are camping in the South this week, which SEC football coaches have roundly chastised. Franklin will speak at camps Tuesday at Georgia State University in Atlanta and Wednesday at Stetson University in Florida, both epicenters of SEC football recruiting territory.

"We're going to do everything in our power to build this program to where everybody wants it to be, and we take great pride in that," Franklin said Sunday. "And we are going to follow the rules. But we are going to use the rules as well."

At issue are summer football camps and the rules attendant to them. The NCAA forbids college coaches from holding camps more than 50 miles from their campus. But it does not prevent them from speaking at other coaches' camps.

So Franklin called Georgia State coach Trent Miles about being a guest coach at his camp. Miles agreed. Then several SEC coaches, at the league's spring meetings, lamented the decision, saying it skirts the intent of NCAA rules. The SEC has a local rule preventing its coaches from being guest lecturers at camps more than 50 miles from campus.

“It’s funny that anybody’s complaining about this,” Miles told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (read more here). “It’s not like this hasn’t been done before; it just hasn’t affected the SEC before. Now all of a sudden a big-name school is coming to a mid-major school like us and they’re like, ‘Oh, wait a minute. We can’t have that.’”

At his first Penn State camp in State College on Sunday, Franklin was asked about the SEC coaches' response to his idea. (Miles told the AJC it was a "brilliant idea.") Franklin smiled.

"I'm really shocked this is a question that came up," he said. "... There are rules in place, and we're going to follow the rules. There are teams around the country that have been doing this for maybe close to 10 years. And, for whatever reason, we do it this year and it's made national headlines. I don't know why."

Franklin later added, "I love the fact that it's made national headlines. It helps us."

Getting such face time with potential recruits in SEC country has not been part of Penn State's past recruiting strategy. Franklin is changing that Tuesday and Wednesday. He also has developed a calibrated response to those taking issue with it.

"The Big Ten and the NCAA allow you to go to these camps," Franklin said. "We learned about it from other universities doing it. We called, we researched and we found out how they did it. And we're going to take part in it.

"For us, it's about creating opportunities. We're going to treat six hours from campus as in-state for us. We think that makes it fairly reasonable for kids within six hours to get to out campus. But there are a lot of families in this country that can't afford to come to Penn State [for football camps]. So if we have an opportunity to take Penn State to them, awesome."

Even during a vacation in June, Penn State doesn't cease making news, large or small. Here are some things you (and I) might have missed last week.

2015 CLASS ADDS FOURTH PLAYER FROM NEW JERSEY

Myles Hartsfield, a safety/running back from Sayreville War Memorial High in New Jersey, made an oral commitment to Penn State on Saturday morning. Hartsfield, who hasn't yet turned 17, is a three-star player, according to Lions247.com.

Hartsfield had offers from Rutgers, Pitt and West Virginia, among others. On offense, Hartsfield ran for 1,586 yards last season, according to NJ.com (read more here). The 6-foot Hartsfield became the 16th player to commit to Penn State's Class of 2015. One player, linebacker Josh Barajas, switched his commitment from Penn State to Notre Dame late last month.

Hartsfield is the fourth player from New Jersey to commit to head coach James Franklin. Here's a look at his film from 2013.

Penn State announced Thursday that Brad "Spider" Caldwell will retire as Penn State's equipment manager, ending a 31-year career with the football program. Read more about Caldwell here.

Caldwell served as a link between the Joe Paterno and Bill O'Brien eras and is one of the most popular people in Penn State's locker room. Penn State coach James Franklin said that the program is exploring ways to honor Spider. And as Jay Paterno noted on Twitter...

Brad/Spider Caldwell--one of the great people anyone could know. He bridged decades of players & his departure leaves a big void at PSU

During his first day on the job, Penn State football coach James Franklin stopped by the women's volleyball banquet.

Photo courtesy Penn State volleyball

There he met head coach Russ Rose, whose teams have won five NCAA titles in the last seven years.

"So I know the expectations here," Franklin told a crowd at the Penn State Coaches Caravan stop in Bethlehem on Wednesday.

Franklin is a long way from catching Rose's success, which reached a new peak Thursday. The university's Berkey Creamery unveiled an ice cream flavor named for the longtime coach.

Russ 'digs' Roseberry is a strawberry ice cream that has black raspberry puree, red raspberry sauce and dark chocolate. Rose was on hand Thursday to help dish out the first scoops.

"There are few people at this university who have had a flavor named after them, and when I was first asked, I wasn't quite sure about the idea," Rose said, according to a Penn State release. "But after considering it, [wife] Lori and I decided to get involved and work with the creamery to perfect the flavor. I am honored to have been approached by the university, and I hope it's going to be a popular flavor."

Penn State said Russ 'digs' Roseberry is the first new flavor added to the creamery's lineup of 'Hall of Fame' permanent flavors in more than 20 years. Those ice-cream flavors recognize Penn State people and institutions that have impacted the university and community.

Among them are Peachy Paterno, named for the late football coach Joe Paterno; Cherry Quist, named for professor emeritus of dairy science John Almquist; and Keeney Beany, named for professor emeritus of food science Philip Keeney.

Twenty years ago, James Franklin appeared on the cover of East Stroudsburg University's football media guide. Since becoming Penn State's head coach, Franklin has returned to his alma mater several times, including a unique visit Thursday.

The Penn State Coaches Caravan stopped at East Stroudsburg University, the first time the traveling operation has appeared on another school's campus. It was quite a scene, with Penn State setting up Alumni Association and ticket booths inside ESU's Mattioli Recreation Center. University staff members, and East Stroudsburg graduates, populated much of the crowd of about 120.

Marcia Walsh, president of East Stroudsburg, countered by noting her disappointment that Franklin would not allow Penn State to add some "Warrior red" paint to its football offices.

Franklin maintains a close relationship with East Stroudsburg, and the coaching staff in particular. When he coached at other schools, Franklin entertained visits from ESU's staff, including head coach Denny Douds and offensive coordinator Mike Terwilliger (whom he calls Twig).

Franklin attended a men's basketball playoff game this winter and gave the commencement addresses at ESU's recent graduation ceremonies. On Thursday, he said the university played a significant role in his life and called Douds a "father figure."

"I thought this made a lot of sense for Penn State and the caravan," Franklin said. "It's great for another state institution, which I'm very proud of, and serves a dual purpose for both communities."

Franklin compared himself to Douds, who has coached East Stroudsburg football for 40 years. He also drew parallels between the schools. The life expectancy for coaches usually is around seven years, Franklin said.

"Penn State and East Stroudsburg are the exception," he added said. "Here the expectation is you come and stay for 80 years. Myself and Denny are perfectly fine with that."

Douds is paying close attention to Franklin at Penn State. He noted that Franklin currently has the nation's second-ranked recruiting class behind Alabama, according to 247Sports.com, which Douds expects to improve.

"He's at the toughest part that the Penn State program has ever been at," Douds said. "... Once he gets on even ground with everybody else, look out. Because of his personality, his ability to put forth what he believes to people, and particularly to recruits, they're going to line up behind him quick.

"If you notice, that's what's happening right now. He has the second-best recruiting class in the country. And that's with limited scholarships. What happens when he goes full bore?"

Franklin talked about the impact Douds and East Stroudsburg had on him prior to the Caravan stop. Take a look.

The Penn State baseball team made history Friday, turning two triple plays in a single game against Michigan State. It's just the second time in Division I history that a team has completed two triple plays in one game (Gonzaga did it in 2006).

And, according to Major League Baseball, only one big-league team has turned three twice in a game (the Minnesota Twins in 1990).

Alas, Penn State lost the game 4-2, the first of a doubleheader with the Spartans. Here's the video, courtesy of Penn State.

The NCAA has "openly threatened" Penn State with further football sanctions, including the death penalty, since the Paterno group filed its lawsuit last year, the group's lawyer asserts.

Attorney Wick Sollers said in a statement, and in a legal brief filed in Centre County Court on Monday, that Penn State is cooperating with the NCAA's desire to fight discovery in Paterno vs. NCAA because of that threat. The Paterno group earlier this year filed a broad request for documents between Penn State and Louis Freeh's firm, which wrote the 2012 report that led to the consent decree and sanctions.

"It is apparent that PSU, still under open threat by the NCAA of additional sanctions, has joined the NCAA’s strategy of delay and conceal," Sollers said in a statement. "PSU’s objections are a hollow attempt to prevent the discovery of the supposed factual basis for the Freeh Report’s unfounded and outrageous conclusions as to Joe Paterno and the other plaintiffs in this lawsuit. The extreme difficulty the NCAA faces in the litigation brought by the Paterno family, former coaches and others is evident in their transparent attempts to delay the process and withhold information."

Last week, the NCAA said in a request to dismiss the Paterno group's amended complaint that its case is trying to "rewrite history" and "ignores reality." On Monday, the Paterno group's lawyers filed their response, which called the NCAA and Penn State's objections to the subpoenas "baseless." Penn State has argued against releasing scores of documents related to the Freeh group's investigation based on attorney-client privilege.

The Paterno group said in its brief that the NCAA continues to fight discovery a year after the lawsuit was filed. The NCAA last week said that "nothing has come out in the public domain to shake any confidence in Judge Freeh's report." The Paterno group's response called that an "astonishing and self-serving position."

The brief also states the the NCAA continues to assert pressure on Penn State.

"As part of the delay-and-conceal strategy, the NCAA has openly threatened Penn State with additional sanctions, including the so called 'death penalty,' if Penn State does not come to heel," the motion states. "In the face of those threats, Penn State has supported the NCAA and taken the position that there should be no discovery from the Freeh Firm, asserting claims of attorney-client and attorney work product privileges with respect to information underlying in the Freeh Report.

"It is not surprising that the NCAA and its allies do not want this litigation to shine a light on the NCAA's egregious miscondict, for they are the ones who ran roughshod over plaintiffs' rights when the NCAA imposed the consent decree and, without process, accused plaintiffs of being complicit in horrific crimes. But the judicial system does not allow the 'accept our word' approach that the NCAA and Penn State have adopted."

Former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary is a pretty good golfer,

Reuters

carrying a 1-handicap, according to the Golf Handicap Information Network. He has shot 75 or better in his last five reported rounds, according to the GHIN site, including a pair of 71s on his home course (listed as Penn State' courses).

So McQueary decided to join the record 10,127 players who entered qualifying for next month's U.S. Open at Pinehurst. McQueary played at Thursday's local qualifier at Huntsville Golf Club in Shavertown. A total of 72 players competed for four spots in next month's regional-qualifying round.

McQueary had a rough day, shooting a 19-over 91 in failing to advance. The medalist shot even-par 72.

McQueary's score was the second-lowest returned for the qualifier. Two other players turned in scores of 95.

Until they get to court, the Paterno lawsuit group and the NCAA are going to trade blows in legal briefs. The NCAA filed one this week saying that the Paterno group's suit asks Centre County Court to "rewrite history" and that its case "ignores reality."

The parties have been trading colorful motions since the Paterno family, along with several former Penn State players, coaches and current trustees, filed their suit against the NCAA last May. In the latest motion (read it here), the NCAA asks the court to dismiss the Paterno group's most recent amended complaint for essentially the same reason it asked the court to dismiss the initial complaint: The Paterno group has no legal standing to file suit.

The NCAA's lawyers, as did the Paterno group's, wrote some entertaining exposition before getting to the casework bones of their motion. For instance, the NCAA says that, since the consent decree was executed, Penn State's situation has improved and thus the decree was a "resounding success."

"Plaintiffs do not like this success story because it relies on the history that actually happened, as opposed to the history [the plaintiffs] wish happened," the NCAA's motion states. "As a result, Plaintiffs ask this Court to do something truly extraordinary: entirely void a contract to which they are neither a party nor a beneficiary, when both parties to the contract want to enforce it, and when voiding the contract is not necessary to remedy any of the Plaintiffs' claims."

In addition, the NCAA argues that the group makes "no credible argument" that the late Joe Paterno and former trustee Al Clemens, who is part of the suit, had a "direct, immediate and substantial" interest in the consent decree's bowl ban, scholarship reductions or creation of the Athletics Integrity Agreement.

The NCAA then asks to how long ("perhaps for years," its motion states) the group intends to pursue striking down the consent decree.

"Plaintiffs ignore, however, that during that entire time, the cloud of uncertainty will continue to hang over Penn State, and prevent it from finally and conclusively moving past the [Jerry] Sandusky affair. That would be fundamentally unfair, and sacrifice the entire Penn State community's interests to the potential benefit of no one but these few Plaintiffs."

Scott Paterno, who is acting as a family's legal representative in the case, noted his disagreement on Twitter.

Only way to prove if anyone's re-writing history. Turn over what you have--we've been willing to to that since day one. How bout the NCAA?

Hand has been an amateur chef for years, saying he's particularly enamored with a well grilled steak. In this Father's Day-themed episode, according to the Food Network, the dads tackle fish and salt-and-vinegar chips in the first round, a bottle of scotch in the second round and rice pudding and pretzels in the dessert round.

Hand knows his way around a menu and cooking stations. At Penn State's signing-day ceremony in February, the line coach manned the omelet bar. And during a Reddit Q&A session (read it here), Hand described a dinner he once made for a recruit.

In case you missed it over the weekend, Penn State's recruiting class increased to 13 players with the commitment of defensive end Jonathan Holland.

The 6-5 Maryland native, who attends The Bullis School, is a consensus three-star player who began receiving some significant offers recently. On the same day he tweeted his commitment to Penn State, Holland received an offer from Florida State, according to Lions247 (check out his bio here).

Holland also received offers from Georgia, Clemson and Nebraska in recent weeks.

The lineman was named honorable mention all-Met by the Washington Post as a junior. His Hudl film (check it out here) includes highlights of both speed- and power-rush moves that resulted in sacks. Holland also disrupts a number of run plays in the backfield.

Penn State coach James Franklin opened the Coaches Caravan last week by delivering this challenge to his players:

We expect you to graduate in 3.5 years.

The proclamation continued Franklin's approach for setting high public bars with regard to his team,

Photo courtesy Penn State Football

something he underscores in nearly every photo he takes (such as this one, from Penn State's pro day).

The coach said graduating in 3.5 years would allow players to pursue the NFL combine and draft free of classwork requirements. It also would allow those who maintain a year of eligibility to begin a Master's or second bachelor's degree.

"It's not just enough to get your degree from Penn State," Franklin said in a media session prior to the Caravan stop at Pegula Ice Arena. "That's a foregone conclusion. You're going to graduate from Penn State."

Franklin said he has made this a focus of recruiting, as did former coach Bill O'Brien. Interestingly, though, Franklin departed from O'Brien with regarding to using Penn State's NFL history to sell his program.

Among O'Brien's recruiting pitches was his staff's NFL experience, which he said players could use in the future. Franklin, however, said he won't recruit from that perspective.

"We have an unbelievable [NFL] tradition and history and we want to continue to build that," Franklin said. "... I will also say that we spend very little time talking about the NFL during the recruiting process. What we well is being a true student-athlete."

Here's Franklin talking about Penn State's NFL prospects, and his approach, before the caravan.

The Paterno group's subpoena for documents relating to Louis Freeh's investigation is "fatally flawed" and "fatally overbroad" and would violate attorney-client privilege, Penn State argued this week.

The university filed a motion in Centre County Court on Monday (read it here) continuing to oppose the release of millions of documents concerning Freeh's investigation and report. Paterno group's last month filed the broad request for documents, which Penn State opposed, in preparing its case against the NCAA. Oral arguments in the suit are scheduled for May 19.

On Monday, Penn State responded to the Paterno group's motion to overrule those objections with a filing that said the requests overreached. Penn State said documents concerning its communications with the Freeh Group are protected by attorney-client privilege and the attorney work-product doctrine.

The Paterno group argued that Penn State waived privilege by consenting to release the Freeh Report publicly. Penn State said it granted limited waivers for the report's public release.

The Paterno group has requested millions of documents relating to communications between the Freeh Group, Penn State, the Big Ten and the NCAA. Penn State said it does not object to releasing documents concerning third-party communications.

"Attorney Scott] Paterno's position, however, is that he is entitled to all of the documents he seeks because, he contends, any applicable privileges or immunities from discovery have been waived by virtue of the public disclosure of the Freeh Report," Penn State's motion said. "That position is incorrect. In agreeing to the public disclosure of the Freeh Report without an advance review, the University made a knowing, but expressly limited, waiver of the attorney-client privilege and the attorney work product doctrine. Many of the documents Paterno seeks remain immune from discovery by virtue of those privileges and protections."

Further, Penn State said that the subpoena's broad sweep would "impose extremely costly, time-consuming and excessively burdensome requirements" on retrieving the documents.

"Paterno should not be permitted to impose those costs on Penn State by means of the grossly overbroad and intrusive subpoena that is before the court," the university's motion said. "This Court accordingly should sustains Penn State's objections and require Paterno to propose an alternative subpoena that is tailored to address those objections."

Former offensive lineman John Urschel was added to the Penn State mural in State College in downtown State College, according to the website Onwardstate.

Urschel was in town Sunday (read more here) to participate in a charity 'pizza crawl' with current offensive line coach Herb Hand. There, artist Michael Pilato unveiled the additions of Urschel and Jasmin Enriquez to the Inspiration Mural on Heister Street.

Urschel recently won the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete. A two-time all-Big Ten lineman, Urschel also won the Campbell Award as college football's top scholar athlete.

Enriquez founded Only With Consent, an organization devoted to education about sexual violence.

Former Penn State receivers coach Stan Hixon called Allen Robinson one of the best wideouts he had coached and a certain future pro.

Rich Barnes/USA Today

But is that future coming too soon?

Perhaps, according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.. Kiper said on a conference call this week that Robinson might have benefited from returning to Penn State for his senior year.

"Had he gone back for another year, he probably would have been a late [first-round] or early [second-round] pick," Kiper said. "If he could have got that speed improved and got that 40 time up."

Robinson joined a long list of wide receivers who declared early for the NFL draft. Kiper said that nine of the top 10 projected receivers in the draft are underclassmen. He pegged Robinson as a third-round pick.

"It's a tough call when underclassmen are coming out and you see everybody joining you," Kiper said. "It's not the optimum situation. But he's the kind of guy I think about as a second- or third-round pick. More of a [third-round pick] right now with questions about speed."

Robinson ran a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February, a time nowhere close to the top 20. He lowered that to below 4.5 (and improved other measureables) at Penn State's pro day earlier this month, prompting former NFL personnel guru Gil Brandt to tweet this.

WR Allen Robinson having big day at #PennState pro day. 42 VJ, 11 BJ, sub-4.5 40. Stock will be up after today. #NFLDraft

A support group for those abused by religious figures condemned a privately funded statue of the late Joe Paterno proposed for downtown State College.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) issued a statement Thursday asking Penn State officials to "denounce the callous move." The statement also said that those who donate to the project "are putting the reputation of a deceased wrongdoer ahead of the healing of child rape victims."

Paterno was not the most egregious wrongdoer in the Jerry Sandusky horror. But it's clear that, at best, he should have done more and at worst, he was a part of a school bureaucracy that turned a blind eye to suspicions about Sandusky's crimes.

This hurtful decision will deter victims, witnesses and whistleblowers in child sex cases from protecting kids by reporting abuse, by reinforcing their often-justified pessimism that adult wrongdoers matter more than wounded kids and their fear that even if they speak up, powerful and popular grownups will usually escape being exposed or punished for ignoring or concealing child sex crimes.

The statue (read more about it here) has generated differing reactions. Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com wrote favorably about the project, while the Big Ten Network's Tom Deinart questioned it.

Maisel wrote that "it's wonderful that the planned [statue] site is not far from Old Main, the home of the Penn State administration that removed the original Paterno statue from outside of Beaver Stadium in July 2012. What are the university administrators thinking? Do they understand they never should have made the removal of the statue permanent?"

Meanwhile, Deinart's column (read it here) is titled, "Now is not the time for a Paterno statue." Deinart writes...

Is it really appropriate to commission a statue of a person who was a central figure in the most heinous scandal in college athletics history? All of the horrors of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal are still fresh and they will remain for years. The stain of this will never completely go away. And Paterno is forever linked to the atrocities whether the most ardent JoePa sycophants want to believe it or not. But how can all of those wins, championships and donations trump that?

A documentary film group plans a tribute to Joe Paterno for release on the third anniversary of his firing.

"The People's Joe," scheduled for DVD release Nov. 9, will tell Paterno's story "from the perspective of ordinary people," according to a press release from The Porterfield Group. The same company also produced two other documentaries, "The Joe We Know" and "365 Days: A Year in Happy Valley," about Paterno and the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

According to the press release, the film will include two independent groups that have been working to honor Joe Paterno. Among them is 'Joe's Bench,' a committee that wants to honor Joe and Sue Paterno in State College.

"Joe was so much more than a figure representing Penn State," Ted Sebastianelli, a member of 'Joe's Bench' and a board-of-trustees candidate, said in the release. "We're not waiting for the university to do anything. This film will document the people's love for Joe. We don't really care what the university does at this point."

Saturday's Blue-White Game might not have offered too much insight on the football team's future, but there were notable moments. Here's a selection.

1. Offensive line redux.

It's clearly the team's most pressing issue when head coach James Franklin returns to it.

Matthew O'Haren/USA Today

As the coach said, the Lions must get "creative" to address their concerns up front.

One thing we missed yesterday: Guard Brian Gaia, who was named the team's most-improved offensive player, could not receive the award at halftime because of an undisclosed injury. Center Wendy Laurent also was injured, though it didn't appear serious.

With guard Miles Dieffenbach out, tackle Andrew Nelson absent and guard Anthony Alosi indefinitely suspended, the Lions are thin across the line. Dieffenbach, Alosi and Gaia were listed as the top three players at right guard. Freshman Chaz Wright is top-line at right tackle. Four walk-ons were on the second team.

Should they get healthy, the Lions still will be inexperienced. Left tackle Donovan Smith is the line's only returning starter. Little wonder that Franklin stood behind the quarterbacks Saturday essentially as an extra official. His role: to call sacks so his quarterbacks didn't get hit, and hurt.

What happened to the late Joe Paterno "is just one more case of an innocent man convicted by the media for a crime in which he had no part," according to a summary of Jay Paterno's new book.

"Paterno Legacy," written by the former Penn State quarterbacks coach, is scheduled to be published in September (read more here). The book, according to a summary posted by publisher Triumph Books, "paints a full picture" of Joe Patern's life and career while addressing the events that ended his tenure at Penn State.

"Jay Paterno clear-headedly confronts the events that happened with cool facts and with passion, demonstrating that this was just one more case of an innocent man convicted by the media for a crime in which he had no part," the summary says. "Noting that the scandal itself was but a short moment in Joe Paterno's life and legacy, the book focuses on Paterno's greatness as a father and grandfather, his actions as a miraculous coach to his players, and his skillful dealings with his assistant coaches."

Jay Paterno, who recently ended his campaign for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor, has been writing the book for some time. Triumph Books calls it a "memorial to one of the greatest coaches in college football history."

Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, wrote the foreword. Knight famously spoke at Paterno's 2012 memorial service, then took Paterno's name off Nike's child-care facility after the Freeh Report was released in 2012.

When the Paterno family released its critique of the Freeh Report in 2013, Knight issued a statement saying that he had not read the report in full.

"When I later took the time to do so, I was surprised to learn that the alarming allegations, which so disturbed the nation, were essentially theories and assertions rather than solid charges backed by solid evidence," Knight said in 2013. "On reflection I may have unintentionally contributed to a rush to judgment."

A Penn State junior and incoming freshman face charges in separate incidents.

Anthony Alosi, a redshirt junior offensive lineman, was charged with simple assault in connection with an incident Jan. 31 in State College. Alosi also was charged with conspiracy to commit simple assault, according to online court documents. Both are misdemeanors.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23. Penn State has not commented on Alosi's status with the team. The web site Fightonstate first reported the incident.

Separately, Jason Cabinda, an incoming freshman linebacker, was charged with driving under the influence March 23 in New Jersey, according to nj.com (read it here). Cabinda, 18, also was issued summonses for careless driving and driving without insurance.

James Franklin plans to overhaul Penn State's special teams (read more about it here), which has been noticed among the players.

"We practice special teams every single day, twice a day," cornerback Jordan Lucas said. "... Special teams is the most important unit on this football team, and they're letting us know that right now."

So important, in fact, that offensive linemen, assistant coaches and the the head trainer are catching punts (or at least trying to catch punts). With varied results.

Penn State released this video of players fielding punts who never will in a game. It's an entertaining look inside the team's drills.

On Signing Day, James Franklin apologized for having the Big Ten's third-ranked recruiting class. "We will get that fixed," the Penn State coach said.

If national recruiting rankings matter to Franklin (and it seems they do), he has to be happy so far about his 2015 class. Penn State received two oral commitments over the weekend, bringing the 2015 class to 11 players and No. 2 in the nation. In addition, Penn State currently tops the Big Ten, according to the Rivals, Scout and 247Sports recruiting rankings.

Though that means little now, it's something to sell to recruits. According to 247Sports (check out its national rankings here), Penn State leads the nation in four-star commitments. Of the 11 players who have committed, eight are listed as four-star players, according to 247Sports.

The numbers vary by service, but all three services agree: Only Texas A&M has a higher-ranked class so far this year.

Penn State's two most recent commitments came from four-star offensive lineman Steve Gonzalez of New Jersey and four-star linebacker Josh Barajas of Indiana.

Here's a look at Gonzalez, a 6-3, 300-pound guard who can maul people.

Barajas chose Penn State over Notre Dame, according to the Post-Tribune (read the story here). And check out his film.

James Franklin received another verbal commitment Saturday, bringing Penn State's 2015 recruiting class to 10 players. Based on what he said after practice, Franklin might want the group to enroll early.

Steven Gonzalez, a four-star offensive lineman according to 247Sports, committed to Penn State on Saturday while on a visit to campus. Gonzalez is the seventh four-star player to commit, giving Penn State the nation's No. 2 class behind Texas A&M, according to 247Sports.

Before speaking to a large group of recruits, Franklin explained how the players who signed in February will have a chance to make a quick impact. "We're going to have to play a lot of freshmen," the coach said while discussing the Lions' depth concerns.

Here's a good look inside Penn State football practice, featuring James Franklin's version of the "Oklahoma" drill. In it, players go full contact in a confined space, often outside their normal positions.

At the NFL owners' meeting in Orlando, O'Brien was discussing his decision to leave Penn State when he added this aside.

"The fact that there is a bowl ban at Penn State is ridiculous," O'Brien said.

Here's the full context and quote. O'Brien was asked about leaving Penn State, particularly the night he accepted the Texans' offer in late December. O'Brien said that he "called every kid from like 11:30 at night until 4 in the morning." He called that a "tough deal" because of his, and his staff's, attachment to the players.

"It was during Christmas break and because of the bowl ban, which was ridiculous, the fact that there is a bowl ban at Penn State is ridiculous, but because of the bowl ban, we were on Christmas break. We weren’t going to a bowl. I wish I could have had a team meeting because what I would have done, I would have explained it to them face-to-face. But we couldn’t, so I called them. I didn’t ever want to be somebody that just rode off in the middle night and never said a word. I mean, I love those kids and had a great relationship with all those guys. I don’t know if I reached every one of them but I at least left a message for all of them.”

O'Brien added that he was proud of the team, because it stuck together, and praised new coach James Franklin.

"It was a tough time, we won some games. We won some games that no one could believe we won, beating someone with 40 scholarship kids. So we owe a lot to those kids. But those kids, kids are resilient and they’ve got a good coach there now, James Franklin. I think they’ll be fine.”

O'Brien also had this to say about former Penn State receiver Allen Robinson.

"Number one, he’s a great guy. Smart. We moved him around a lot this year. We played him outside. We played him at all three wide receiver positions. He’s big, strong. The 50-50 ball, he’s going to make the play on it. He’s faster than you think and very competitive, loves to practice. He’s a good player.”

James Franklin added to his collection of four-star skill-position players this week, when receiver Brandon Polk of Virginia made a verbal commitment to Penn State. The recruiting sites Scout.com and 247Sports.com confirmed Polk's decision Tuesday.

Polk, from Briar Woods High, is the sixth four-star player to commit to Penn State's 2015 class, according to 247Sports.com. Among them are fellow receiver Juwan Johnson of New Jersey and running backs Andre Robinson of Harrisburg and Saquon Barkley of Whitehall.

Polk is a speedster, running a hand-timed 4.36 40-yard dash at a January combine. He also scored 20 touchdowns the past two seasons. Read more about Polk here from the Washington Post.

Polk is the ninth player to commit to Penn State's Class of 2015, which is ranked fourth nationally (and No. 1 in the Big Ten) by 247Sports.com.

Penn State lost more than of of its receiver production with the departures of Allen Robinson and Brandon Felder, leaving plenty of opportunity this season. As a result, wideout is a position that could do in any direction.

Mike McGinnis (Getty Images)

The Lions return three receivers, led by Eugene Lewis, who combined for 35 catches last year. Lewis (right) is the top returning wideout with 18 catches, including two for touchdowns against Wisconsin.

But Lewis, Richy Anderson (13 catches) and Matt Zanellato (four) are the only receivers who have caught a pass. That leaves quarterback Christian Hackenberg without much experience to lean on.

However, coach James Franklin said Monday that receiver is one position he feels comfortable using young players. And the Lions have a number of them.

Redshirt freshman DaeSean Hamilton, who missed last season because of a wrist injury, is practicing without a cast. True freshman DeAndre Thompkins made a splash by running the team's fastest 40-yard dash during winter workouts.

Then there's the incoming group of freshmen who will arrive this summer. Notable in that group are Saeed Blacknall, who caught 15 touchdown passes as a senior, and Chris Godwin, who had 1,200 receiving yards as a senior.

Check out the receivers in action below. Wideout drills being at the 1:01 mark. Here's a primer of names to numbers.

Penn State began spring drills in Holuba Hall on Monday, the first of 15 practices that will culminate with the Blue-White Game on April 12.

Coach James Franklin held a press conference before. A full transcript is available (read it here).

Some highlights:

Franklin shifted defensive tackles Derek Dowrey and Brian Gaia to the offensive line to help with depth. The team has four offensive tackles, just one of whom (left tackle Donovan Smith) has game experience.

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg is listed at 234 pounds, 14 more than last season. The 6-4 quarterback also is one pound heavier than running back Zach Zwinak.

Franklin declined to discuss injuries, but several players who were out last year participated Monday. The list included tight end Brent Wilkerson, linebacker Ben Kline, defensive end Brad Bars and receiver DaeSean Hamilton. Hamilton and Kline appeared limited in drills.

Defensive lineman Anthony Zettel, listed at 274 pounds, has gained 16 pounds and shifted from end to tackle. Franklin said Zettel has tested "extremely well."

Another player who tested well is freshman receiver DeAndre Thompkins, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash during workouts. Franklin wouldn't specify a time. "Fast. Very fast, very fast," he said.

Quarterback Jack Seymour no longer is with the team. Seymour, a walk-on from Indianapolis, left to concentrate on academics, a team spokesperson said.

Penn State will practice Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the Blue-White Game, with an off day April 4 during the high school coaches' clinic.

A story in Sunday's editions of the Morning Call (read it here) looked at Penn State's athletic-department budgets, which saw a deficit of nearly $6 million for fiscal year 2013. The athletic department attributed that to factors such as lower attendance for football games, increased expenses (some relating to coaching salaries) and lack of bowl revenue.

As a result, the department has proposed a $30 million loan to bridge the funding gap. In the meantime, it gave football coach James Franklin the richest deal in school history. Penn State officials called that a necessary investment.

"Obviously football is critically important to the whole athletic enterprise," said Rodney Erickson, Penn State's outgoing president. "Because we're one of the few universities in the nation where athletics is fully self-supporting, we need a strong football program and strong basketball program and other programs as well that contribute toward the bottom line in terms of intercollegiate athletics.

"So we're expecting a program that will contribute on an upward trajectory and that will be a program that people across the Commonwealth, Penn State fans and alumni everywhere are going to get behind and support in the stadium and everywhere else. We think that will also carry over to many of our other athletic programs as well."

These tables accompanied the story, though didn't appear online.

COMPARING THE BUDGETS

A look at Penn State's budget numbers over the past three fiscal years*.

Lehigh Valley football coaches will get to know Spencer, whose recruiting territory includes Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties. Here's a little taste of what Spencer is like, courtesy of Penn State.